


Final Countdown

by sterekruinedme



Series: Sterek Sundays [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Tragedy, Blood and Injury, Car Accidents, Crying, F/M, Fire, First Meetings, M/M, POV Derek Hale, Pain, Past Tense, Sad Derek, Sad Jordan Parrish, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, mention of a panic attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-19 20:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11321112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sterekruinedme/pseuds/sterekruinedme
Summary: The timer on his wrist was supposed to bring him a lifetime of happiness once it reached zero. He knew he wasn't that lucky. Whether the universe was trying to punish him or his soulmate, he will never know. All he does know, however, is that he's more alone than he's ever been, and nothing can change that.





	Final Countdown

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Namidagoe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Namidagoe/gifts).



> My awesome Sterek writing partner, Namidagoe, and I have decided to post a new work about our OTP every Sunday, where we both write for the same prompt. Week #1: Soulmate Clocks

_Everyone is born with a timer on their wrists inked into their skin, almost like a moving tattoo. Once the countdown hits 0d 0h 0m 0s, someone meets their soulmate; the one person on planet Earth they are meant to spend the rest of their lives with and love eternally._

_Every single person has a timer. There's no getting out of it and no turning back once the countdown ends._

_Some people are excited by this concept, while others fear it. There are some who choose to ignore their clocks and date around before their time comes. There are no laws against it, but it is frowned upon in certain areas. Most of the world feels that seeing others before you meet your intended is shameful, as there is only one person for everyone. The universe makes sure of that._

+++

At 16 years old, Derek Hale felt on top of the world. A woman had moved to town who had instantly grabbed his attention. He knew she was older than him, maybe ten years, but he did not care about that. Her piercing blue eyes, shiny blonde hair, and seductive curves had him practically drooling. She flirted with him whenever she saw him, always giving a devilish smirk that had Derek foolishly believing he was in love. Everything about her he found perfect. He even loved her name; Kate Argent. 

He tried to tell his friends about the woman who captivated him at every turn. He never brought up her age, or even her name. All he shared was that she was amazing and Derek was in love. His friends, thinking logically and not out of infatuation, tried snapping Derek back to reality. They would be supportive if she was, but they couldn't help but ask if she was Derek's soulmate. 

Derek pointedly avoided these questions. He didn't want to admit to anyone, including himself, that there was no way Kate could be his soulmate because his timer still had years before it would run out. To him, his clock was merely broken. It was impossible, but he stuck by his deluded fantasies regardless. 

Kate constantly told him that they were meant to be, regardless of their clocks. "It's a stupid and inaccurate system, baby. You belong with me," she would whisper in his ear every time they slept together. 

Despite her constant reassurances that they were made for each other, she forbade him from telling anyone about their relationship. She only met up with him in private, and ignored him completely if they saw each other in public. 

Three weeks into their relationship, Kate brought up the topic of soulmates again; this time asking about Derek's parents. Derek told her that his parents had met at the age of 20, and they are the most amazing couple he knows. She also asked about Derek's older sister, Laura, and whether or not she had met her soulmate yet. Excited, Derek regaled Kate with the story he had seen play out first hand. That Laura had met her soulmate merely five days ago, on her eighteenth birthday, when she got pulled over by a cop for driving too slow. She rolled down the window and her arm started tingling. She noticed the officer, later introduced as Jordan Parrish, feeling the same thing. Their eyes met just as the clock reached 0, and that's when she knew. 

Kate had smiled at Derek's tales and leaned in for a kiss. She briefly pulled away, and whispered against his lips something that chilled him to his bones. "It would be quite a shame, wouldn't it? Losing your soulmate. I bet the person left standing would never be whole again. They would be quite...hollow, don't you think?" 

Derek did not have time to ponder the creepy and slightly threatening statement, as Kate went back to kissing him. It nagged him in the back of his mind, telling him something was off with Kate, but he ignored it as her lips made a trail across his jaw towards his neck.

+++

Derek fully understood Kate's assertion nine days after she gave it. That's the day his house and everyone he loved was engulfed in flames. There was nothing he could have done. He had been at school when it happened. Laura's classes ended early that day so she went home to help their mother cook dinner for the extended family coming over for a family reunion. Cora had stayed home with a cold. Eleven of his aunts, uncles, cousins, and his four grandparents arrived mid-afternoon, all happy and warm towards their family. Fall was approaching, so it was dark out by seven o'clock, when Derek was still at basketball practice. 

Kate neither knew nor cared if Derek was inside the mansion when she approached from the shadows with gasoline. She snuck in through the window and crawled her way into the basement. She drenched the room with the flammable liquid, and even threw dry twigs she collected from the woods onto the couch. Then, with no hesitation, she climbed back out the window and tossed a lighter onto the floor. She relished in the smell of the flames from her place in the shadows, and gleefully watched the mansion light up the sky as the fire spread. What really made her night was the first scream.

It sounded young and high-pitched. Possibly a child. Soon, the rattling of doors and windows could be heard, however faintly. Kate laughed to herself. Everything was bolted shut. No one could escape. More screams filled the air and the rush of adrenaline made Kate grin like a madman. Humans are so fragile. 

She wanted to stay until the end, but soon, the lights and sounds of approaching sirens forced her to leave her position. She wasn't worried about survivors though. The screams had gone quiet long ago, and she prided herself on her handiwork. Still, she was back on the main road as the first ambulance pulled up to the ruined mansion. She turned on the police radio she stole and listened to Sheriff Stilinski give his report once the fire had successfully been put out.

Nineteen dead. No one in the house had survived. The oldest victim was determined to be Grandma Hale, at 83 years old, while the youngest was the baby cousin, Angelo, at only 5 years old. 

Kate heard the Sheriff tell dispatch that the only person not on the scene or anywhere in the house was Derek, and Kate surprised herself by displaying no emotion whatsoever. She had no concern that she has just left an innocent 16 year old child to suffer the crippling loss of losing his entire family. She merely shrugged and drove home to shower and get rid of the smell of ash clinging to her.

The deputies on scene were distant as they wrapped the poor Hale family up in body bags. They too felt the loss, and it was suffocating. Not only were the Hales one of the most respected and kind families in Beacon Hills, but it was also the matter of nineteen out of twenty members of this family having been brutally taken from this world. 

Jordan Parrish arrived last to the scene, and the ear-splitting wail he uttered upon seeing Laura Hale's body broke everyone's heart. Jordan himself was a young man, who now had to live his life without his soulmate. His heart clenched in pain as he cried for what felt like days. He finally passed out after an hour, and the paramedics took him to the hospital for shock. 

But that wasn't the saddest thing to happen that night. 

Dispatch had informed the Sheriff that Derek Hale was still at Beacon Hills High for basketball practice, but would be leaving soon. So, with a heavy heart, the Sheriff drove over to the high school to deliver the news in person. He had an ambulance follow him in case the poor boy had a panic attack or went into shock.

Stealing himself for the most difficult conversation of his career, Sheriff Stilinski got cleared by the security guard and walked into the gym. He noticed Derek right away, and felt a pang when he saw how similar he looked to his parents. The player was smiling and rough-housing with his friends, and the Sheriff wanted to cry. Such an innocent soul was about to be marred forever. 

The boys just saw the Sheriff for the first time, and they stopped in their tracks. Sheriff Stilinski approached the group slowly, and they could sense something was wrong. "Evening, Sheriff. How can we help you?" one of the boys hesitantly asked. "Good evening boys. Derek Hale, would you mind coming with me outside? I need to speak with you." Derek suddenly felt sick to his stomach. He saw the extra-professional mask the Sheriff was wearing, and knew something was wrong. Still, he followed him outside, from a distance.

Sheriff Stilinski paused near his cruiser where the ambulance was parked nearby. He signed deeply, and cursed the world for him having to break the news to the young boy. "Derek, I need you to listen to me okay? I have some bad news for you, and it kills me to say it." He had to pause, because he couldn't bear to see the heartbreak on Derek's face. "There was a fire at your house. Officials determined it originated in the basement. Somehow the doors and windows were bolted shut. No one survived."

Derek wanted to throw up. His head was spinning, and his first thought was that it's April Fools all of a sudden because there's no way the Sheriff was serious. His family isn't dead. They can't be. His mother, his hero, is too strong to die. The Sheriff must be pulling a prank on him.

"Y-Y-You're lying! My family isn't dead! You're just pulling a prank on me! I'll prove it to you!" Derek sobbed and screamed, somehow knowing in his heart that it was true.

Tears threatened to spill over the Sheriff's eyelids but he kept his demeanor the same. He expected this disbelief from Derek, but seeing it play out in front of him broke his heart. He couldn't help but think of his own son, still a little boy, and imagined him all alone. The Sheriff's resolve threatened to break at that.

He watched silently as Derek pulled out his phone and called his family, frantically pacing back and forth each time the calls went to voicemail. 

Eighteen calls later, and Derek dropped to his knees. His whole body was racked with sobs, and the scream he let out sounded so similar to Parrish that Sheriff Stilinski broke down. He too wept for the loss of innocent lives, and for the now damaged young man in front of him. He crouched down to Derek's level and placed a hand on his shoulder. Derek didn't react to it, and it took ten minutes for his breathing to go back to normal.

The tears still fell out of his red-rimmed eyes, and there was an emptiness inside them. "I want to go home. Please," he said, voice as steady as could be. Sheriff Stilinski didn't want Derek to have to see the ruins of his home while his family was in bags right next to it. He tried expressing his concerns to the boy, but he was determined. "Please!" he shouted again. The next part came out as a choked whimper, "I want to say goodbye."

Derek deserved that, at the very least. He spoke to his deputies through his radio to let them know not to take the bodies to the hospital yet. Derek sat in the passenger seat of the cruiser silent and still. There was nothing anyone could have done or said that would have brought joy back to this boy's life.

The Sheriff pulled back onto Hale property, and Derek gaped at the shell of the building he had called home all his life. It was almost unrecognizable. He slowly opened the door and approached the structure, as if in a trance.

He was in complete and utter shock. He walked around the perimeter of the house and examined every feature, as if he could not believe that this was his home, right in front of him, buried under layers of ash.

Just when he couldn't bear to look at the house anymore, a timid voice called out, "Derek?"

Jordan Parrish had returned from his quick trip to the hospital, but still looked worse for wear. He looked like Derek felt; absolutely devastated. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was mused from him running his hands through it in panic, and he seemed to be shaking. Derek surprised everyone, including himself, by running over and wrapping Jordan up in a bone-crushing hug. The officer returned the gesture with the same force, and the two young men cried into each other's shoulders. They each clung to the brother-in-law they would never have now that Laura was gone.

They both watched in despair as the ink vanished off Parrish's wrist. For some reason, that was the driving force that made the situation real to Derek. He had to run to the nearest tree to vomit as his emotions threatened to crush him. Once again, his head was spinning and his heart physically hurt. With a lot of convincing from the Sheriff, Derek reluctantly agreed to go to the hospital for treatment, but only if Jordan went with him.

Once the ambulance had pulled away, the Sheriff and his deputies resumed their investigation of the fire.

Derek spent the night in the hospital, and fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion overtaking him. The deputies looked at him with pity in their eyes, as they knew he wouldn't have a good night's sleep for a long time after that night. He had guards outside his bed all night, as they were treating the fire like a murder investigation, and worried the killer might try and do something to him.

Before he was released the next morning, the Sheriff came to visit him with news he hoped would ease part of the boy's suffering. As gently as he could, he informed Derek that the fire was indeed arson, and evidence tied it all to Kate Argent. In fact, she didn't try to cover her tracks at all. Her motive appeared to be revenge on Talia Hale for her law firm pressing charges on Kate's father, Gerard, on aggravated assault and kidnapping charges that got him incarcerated.

For the second time in as many days, Derek's world changed and he felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't believe it. There was no way Kate murdered his family. For crying out loud, she was his soulmate! All of this information became too much for Derek to handle, and nurses rushed to his bedside as he sunk into a panic attack.

Together, the officers and the nurses calmly reassured Derek that there's nothing to fear, and that Kate had been arrested. She couldn't hurt him. Still, the boy's heart was beating too fast for comfort, and they feared he would make himself sick. The nurses resolved to injecting him with a sedative while they continued their affirmations. They had to slow his heart rate, otherwise Derek could hurt himself. 

Soon, Derek was able to breathe normally, and his heart rate had slowed down considerably. But that didn't stop the swirling of emotions inside his head. He felt alone, betrayed, scared, angry, guilty, and shameful. Mostly guilty. He knew that had he not continued to see Kate once he saw that his clock had not yet run out, or at the very least told somebody about their relationship, his family could still be alive.

The overwhelming, crushing, empty feeling of guilt threatened to consume him. He wanted nothing more than to be home, in his bed, with his parents and sisters in the adjacent rooms, grounding him and making him feel safe.

He knew he would never experience that the same way again; if he ever managed to at all.

+++

With everything legalized, and with Derek's consent of course, Derek moved into Parrish's apartment, and Jordan was allowed to assume the role of Derek's legal guardian. The two young men needed each other during this terrible time in their lives, and the would-have-been-brothers-in-law were the only people able to somewhat understand each other's pain.

The two grew up closer than real brothers, despite the six-year age difference. Derek inherited a large sum of money from his family through the insurance company, so they were able to live comfortably. Comfortably, not happily.

Derek still held on to his belief that the fire was his fault because he brought Kate into his life. No matter how much Jordan tried to reassure him, and despite what the therapists said, Derek never truly forgave himself. As a result, he started hiding his clock behind scarves tied around his wrist. Jordan got the explanation out of him one time, and never pressed again: "My deluded thoughts about a person I thought was my soulmate got us into this mess. I don't deserve to be paired up with another person for eternity. I don't deserve to be paired with anyone. I'm not worth it."

Jordan had tried to reassure him once again that the fire wasn't Derek's fault, but it was no use. Derek was set in his ways. Jordan always dropped positive comments just to remind Derek that he's worth it but he never engaged in a full conversation about it. When Derek needed alone time, Jordan gave it to him with no question. The only time he disturbed him was when he would silently walk into Derek's room, sit on his bed with him, and hug him tight. Derek never complained about this, but chose to hug Jordan back just as tight. Then, when the two let go, Jordan would pat Derek on the back and silently walk back out the door. Derek found this to be the most comforting thing Jordan could do.

On the days when Jordan needed to be alone, which didn't happen as often as Derek, the younger boy reciprocated the care Jordan provided for him during his difficult days. This became their regular comfort methods, and oddly enough they were the most successful.

+++

The worst day either man had in so long came three years after the fire happened. Derek came home from grocery shopping expecting to see Jordan on the couch. He knew the older man was home since his car was in the parking lot, so it struck him as odd that he wasn't in the main room. "Jordan?" he called out. No answer. Instead, Derek heard the faintest sound of sniffling coming from Jordan's bedroom. He put the food away and gently knocked on the door. "You okay, man?" Again, Jordan didn't answer. Derek slowly opened the door, and the sight before him made him freeze. Jordan was on his bed, sobbing, and he was clutching a picture frame to his chest. Derek already knew which picture it was; the day he and Laura met, Laura excitedly brought him home to meet her family, and Talia insisted that they take a picture together. Since they had only known each other for two weeks, this picture was the only one he had of her. Jordan loves Laura more than anything, and he curses the world every day that he barely got a chance to know her. Derek was just about to announce his presence when he noticed something on Jordan's wrist. Derek knew he had gotten a tattoo there two days ago, but this was the first time he had seen it. Exactly where his clock had been, Jordan had the word "Laura" tattooed in that spot. Seeing that made Derek feel like his heart was being squeezed and it was threatening to burst.

The crushing feeling of guilt returned as well as his hatred towards the ink on his skin. He ran to the bathroom and ripped off his scarf, after digging into the drawers until he found a nail clipper. It was sharp enough to do the job, so Derek used it to try and carve his soulmate clock, which was still counting down, out of his skin. Even though the scarves had kept it hidden from him for years, Derek still detested it. All it did was remind him of Kate and how naive he had been three years ago. Naive wasn't the right word. He was stupid and reckless, and his entire family paid the price for his actions.

Derek tried to keep his cries muffled, but as the ink refused to disappear, frustrated tears wet his checks and he couldn't help the sob or two that escaped his lips.

Jordan came bursting into the bathroom, face still red from crying. He grabbed the nail clippers from Derek and held tight to the younger man's hand to stop him from injuring his wrist further.

"Derek! What the hell are you doing!" Jordan shouted with wide, scared eyes. Derek just collapsed on himself as he suddenly felt bone-tired. "I-I couldn't take it anymore! I hate this thing! I _hate_ it! And it won't _go away_!" He tried to sink down onto the floor, but got a little dizzy from the blood loss. Once again, his face was tear-stained and hot from the pain in his wrist. Jordan helped him to his feet. "We have to get you to a hospital for stitches. You can't just hurt yourself like this, Derek! What were you thinking?" He cleaned up Derek's wound as best as he could, and then wrapped an Ace bandage around it for the time being. "I'm sorry. I just...don't want anymore reminders and I saw your tattoo and it just hit me that me ignoring this stupid clock was the reason both of our lives are like this and I want it off my skin and I don't think I ever really apologized to you for being the reason your soulmate is gone and I never truly thanked you for taking me in and not letting me sink into depression and for taking me to therapy despite how much I protested and-" Derek had to cut himself off as he reminded himself to breathe. Jordan just pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, and whispered reassurances into his ear.

After both men had calmed down, Jordan drove Derek to the hospital for his injury. Derek stared blankly into space as the nurse chastised him for his reckless actions. She explained to him that as much as he tried, his clock could not come off his skin, and him trying to dig it out was a very irresponsible move. She also tried giving him the same speech that Jordan gave earlier, about how he can't just go around hurting himself. He didn't want to hear it again, so he just nodded along as he thought about nothing.

He just wanted to go home.

With the stitches in and his wrist bandaged, Derek came home and went to sleep. He dreamt of his family, of how Laura would have turned 21 today, and how excited she would have been to legally drink. Cora would have been turning 13 in three months, and the Hales would have went on a vacation to Disneyland to celebrate. He dreamt of his parents, of how happy and loving they were. Most importantly, he dreamt of all the love the Hale family had to give, to anyone and everyone they met. He used to be such a joyous kid, always outside playing and never without a smile.

Now, he felt like he hadn't smiled in decades, and he barely left the house, save for school and shopping for food and clothes.

The next day, Derek forgot to change his bandages before he fell asleep. Jordan found him sleeping soundly on the couch, and decided to change them for him. He unwrapped his wrist, and cleaned some of the dried blood. For the first time since he had met Derek, Jordan got a look at the young man's soulmate clock. He looked at Derek with a pinched expression, and didn't know if he could break the news to him when he woke up.

Derek Hale, the person who actively rejected his clock and kept it hidden, would meet his soulmate in less than a month.

+++

Jordan pondered whether he should tell Derek about what he saw every day for three weeks. When the stitches came out, Derek had pointedly avoided looking at his wrist, and it was re-wrapped in his signature scarf by the nurse at his request. The chosen day was fast approaching, and Jordan had no idea how Derek would react to the tingling in his arm. He also worried for Derek's soulmate, because the love they may have for Derek could possibly go unreciprocated. Jordan imagined his soulmate introducing themselves to Derek, and Derek just yelling at the poor person.

Okay, he did not really believe that Derek would yell at his soulmate, but it was possible that their presence would have been unwelcome to the younger boy. Jordan fully believed that seeing them would reopen old wounds, and Derek would not know how to handle the situation properly. Everyone knew that meeting your soulmate was it. You couldn't go back.

After much debate, Jordan finally came to the decision to tell Derek that he and his soulmate would be united in a matter of days. He knew Derek wouldn't look for himself, so giving him a heads up could help him prepare himself.

Derek came home from his walk and Jordan sat him down on the couch. The black haired boy was a bundle of nerves as the news was delivered. Jordan didn't waste any time; as soon as Derek was seated he told him: "Derek, I'm going to be honest with you because you deserve the heads up. I don't know how you will react because I can't imagine this news being pleasant for you." He paused to make sure Derek was with him, and although he looked nervous, he wanted to hear what had made Jordan so serious.

Jordan huffed. "Okay, here goes. Three weeks ago, you fell asleep before you changed your bandages, so I did it for you. I cleaned up some of the dried blood, and I got a look at your clock. I didn't look on purpose, but I couldn't not see it once it was right in front of me. I know when you will meet your soulmate. I won't tell you exactly when if you don't want me too, but I will give you a hint so you're prepared. It's up to you."

Derek remained motionless. He didn't know how to take this declaration. His first instinct was to feel fear and panic, as his clock always brought up thoughts about Kate. But then, as he settled his nerves, he began to get a feeling of uneasy excitement. A small smile found its way onto the stoic mask he always wore. Somehow, the thought of actually meeting his soulmate made him happy. Somehow, he was ready for it.

"When?" is all he asked. Jordan picked up on Derek's enthusiasm, and displayed a proud smile of his own. He clapped Derek on his shoulder, relieved to see the younger man smile for once.

"Before I tell you I just want to check. Are you sure you want me to tell you the day when you will meet your soulmate? Because you could just look for yourself, you know."

Derek was absolutely sure. He didn't want to look at his wrist and see the physical clock. He also didn't want to see pink, fading lines of his cut flesh. Too many painful memories.

He wanted to hear Jordan say it, because that would make it real to him. He nodded, and answered Jordan's question with: "I'm 100% certain. I want you to tell me the day my life will change, hopefully positive this time." 

"Three days," came Jordan's response.

"Three days. You're joking."

"I most certainly am not. You will meet your soulmate in three days time. Congratulations," Jordan countered with sincerity.

"Holy shit." The disbelief on Derek's face was plain as day.

Elation coursed through Derek, and his smile was blinding. Jordan felt emotional at seeing the complete change of character.

"I need to get ready!" Derek exclaimed as he bolted off the couch and to the shower.

Jordan laughed. Finally, Derek's future was looking up.

+++

For the next three days, Derek was buzzing with excitement. Never had he imagined the thought of meeting his soulmate bringing him this much joy.

The highlight of those days was when Jordan caught him practicing greetings and small talk in the mirror, because he didn't want his meeting to be awkward. When he noticed Jordan standing in the doorframe with a camera, the shriek he let out was one he was not proud of. Jordan was doubled over laughing, and the door was slammed by a red-faced Derek. He sounded like a typical teenager as he yelled at Jordan to give him his privacy.

The appointed day arrived quicker than the two had predicted, and Derek's eagerness was so pronounced it might as well have been written on his forehead. "This is it, this is it, this is it!" he chanted to himself as Jordan dropped him off at the park on his way to work. "Good luck Derek. I'll see you later. Don't screw up, okay?" he said lightly. Derek gave him a quick hug, threw a thank you over his shoulder, and jumped out of the car.

Derek took a deep breath as the police cruiser pulled away. His nerves came back, and he felt like he was going to throw up, but he took it as a good sign. He imagined this how most people felt when they were about to meet their other half.

After ten minutes of mindlessly walking around the park, there was still no tingling in his arm, and he was too antsy to sit down. He decided to take a walk down the block, and see if there was a coffee shop nearby. He was really in the mood for a hot chocolate and a cookie.

It was his comfort food. Leave him alone.

He knew, deep down, that the moment was drawing nearer. He tried to keep a neutral face as he walked down the street, but a grin kept making its way onto his face.

Derek took it as a good sign that the weather was beautiful; sunny, warm, and promising. Just his luck, he saw a Starbucks across the street. At the same time, his arm started to tingle. His first thought was, "Is Starbucks my soulmate? Really?" before he started looking around, barely able to contain his emotions. _This is it!_

Then, as if the universe was personally controlling his movements, he suddenly locked eyes with a gorgeous boy across the street. And when he said gorgeous, he meant WOW!

He had dark brown hair styled into a buzz cut, and the most beautiful amber eyes Derek had ever seen. The boy had an adorable upturned nose, and the most kissable Cupid's bow lips. He was tall and lithe, and wearing a Star Wars shirt under a flannel, with jeans that hug his body just right. He had earbuds in, and Derek could instinctually tell that their music tastes were similar. When he noticed Derek, the smile on his face was so wide, Derek was sure his face had to be hurting. Derek did not want to stop looking at him, wanting to drink in the sight of his handsome soulmate for as long as possible. The only thing that broke his focus was the sound of sirens approaching. 

He looked to his left to see two cop cars chasing a van speeding away from them. Man, they were going fast! He turned back to his soulmate to smile at him again and to wait for these cars to pass so he could finally meet him. But his soulmate, not hearing the sirens with his earbuds in, tried running across the street at that moment when the WALK signal flashed on. Derek had tried screaming at him to stop, but it was no use. He couldn't hear him.

Feet away from the curb, Derek screamed until his throat was raw when the van slammed into his soulmate.

The force of the impact propelled the boy a few feet away, and he landed hard. Derek ran as fast as he could to get to his soulmate's side. He slid on his knees in his haste to get to him, terrified for his well-being. "No no no no no no no!" Derek pleaded, placing the injured boy's head in his lap. From up close, Derek could see how young he looked, and he started crying. His beautiful face was obscured on one side by the blood dripping down from a gash on his head. His arm was bent at awkward angle, and Derek could see the blood soaking though his shirt and pants.

Minutes from death, the boy somehow found it in him to smile. "You're beautiful," he croaked out, reaching up to place a hand on Derek's face. "I'm sorry you had to see this," he added.

Derek freely let the tears flow. Not only was it extremely painful to watch the soulmate you hadn't gotten the chance to meet properly die in your arms, but his heart felt like it was being burned out of his body. It was hard for him to breathe as he fought the pain in his chest. He couldn't imagine how bad the pain would be if this poor boy actually died. Derek hadn't lost him yet, but it sure felt like it.

A crowd had gathered, and Derek thought he heard people call for an ambulance. The cop car that was trailing behind the two chasing the guy in the van pulled up to the scene, and proceeded to block off traffic. The female officers again relayed the order for an ambulance over their radios, and told them to step on it. They kept the people away from the two boys in the middle of the street, but all Derek could focus on was the blood staining the road as it drained out of the boy at an alarming rate.

The ambulance was on its way, but they both knew this poor boy wouldn't make it. Instead, Derek's soulmate rolled up his sleeve to reveal his clock. Derek did the same, ignoring all of the hesitations he had displayed over the last three years.

As confirmation, both clocks said the exact same thing: 0d 0h 0m 1s. Without a doubt, they were soulmates, supposed to spend the rest of their lives with each other and love each other unconditionally.

"What's your name?" the boy asked, eyes barely open anymore. "Derek," he choked out, unable to keep it together.

Again, somehow, he managed a smile. 

"Beautiful name for a beautiful person." The next sentence was delivered with a rasping breath that was barely audible.  
"I'm Stiles. It has been a pleasure spending the rest of my life with you."

As the the last word forced its way out of the boy - Stiles' - mouth, his eyes finally closed and he succumbed to his injuries.

Derek felt just like he did when he was 16; his world had completely changed in a matter of minutes, leaving him broken and alone.

He wanted to scream. _Why would the universe punish an innocent person by taking his life?_

Instead, he clutched Stiles to his chest, and cursed the universe. His heart could have been ripped in half by a gorilla from how much it hurt. He finally understood how Jordan felt that night after seeing Laura's body and feeling the pain of her death. 

Torture isn't a strong enough word to describe it.

Finally, the paramedics arrived, as well as Sheriff Stilinski. He ran over to Derek, and he too dropped to his knees. Grief was evident on his face as he cradled Stiles' head. Panic set in as he begged, "Derek! What happened?! What happened to my son?!" 

And that's when Derek realized the son of the sheriff, the man who had taken care of him in the immediate aftermath of the fire, had died in his arms.

This revelation affected Derek in ways he couldn't even describe. He had to explain to a father that his son was dead, and that the reason Derek was the one holding his body was because they were soulmates. Wordlessly, Derek held up his and Stiles' wrists for the sheriff to see.

When the older man made the connection, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You-you-you...and my son...are soulmates?" he asked, stunned.

Derek merely nodded. His throat hurt from screaming earlier, and he couldn't find the words if he tried.

He was surprised when he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him. Sheriff Stilinski, who had just lost his son, was apologizing to Derek.

"Son, I'm so, so sorry that you had to see this. I'm so sorry about your family, and now your soulmate, being forcefully taken from you far too soon. And I'm also sorry that now I won't get to have you as a son-in-law. You don't deserve any of this."

The sheriff's heartfelt words opened up the floodgates within Derek. He tried to hug him back, but Stiles was still in his lap. Instead, he gently placed Stiles' head in Sheriff Stilinski's lap, which the man seemed to appreciate.

"Sir, I want to say I'm truly sorry for your loss. I'm sorry this awful situation happened and that I didn't get the chance to meet your son properly." Derek's voice was hoarse and crackly.

The sheriff glanced up from where he was kissing Stiles' forehead to look at Derek.

"It's okay, son," Sheriff Stilinski said, with no real meaning behind it. "We're both suffering. Let's not compare grief stories right now. All I want to do is give my son a proper goodbye. Then we will talk, okay?"

Derek nodded, too numb to do much else. With the help of the paramedics, Stiles was loaded into the ambulance and taken to the hospital. It was then that Jordan came up behind him, and simply tackled him in a hug.

There were no tears Derek could shed anymore at the moment. He simply stood in the middle of the street, as Jordan's voice became background noise to him.

When Derek was able to form coherent sentences, he gave his statement to the police, his voice still weak. It was then that he found out Stiles had only been 16 years old. His birthday was supposed to be in a week and a half.

This knowledge took root in Derek's mind, and he couldn't process it.

Jordan took him home, where he walked around in a daze. He took a shower to wash the blood off, spending a half an hour just standing under the spray. 

The week passed by slowly, and Derek attended both Stiles' wake and funeral.

People who knew, which were mostly the Beacon Hills deputies, tried to console Derek, but it was futile. Only Jordan understood how he felt, but he was respecting Derek's wishes to not address it for now.

Although the ink had vanished off his wrist, Derek still wore his scarf around it. He was right from the beginning. His whole soulmate situation was cursed. More than likely, he was cursed. 

Every once in a while, when Derek allowed himself to feel, he wept for the boy he didn't even know, but who's death had resulted in an unfixable hole in his heart.

The timer on his wrist was supposed to bring him a lifetime of happiness once it reached zero. He knew he wasn't that lucky. Whether the universe was trying to punish him or his soulmate, he will never know. All he does know, however, is that he's more alone than he's ever been, and nothing can change that.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I HATE Kate Argent and her relationship with Derek. I only wrote it as angsty background for why Derek doesn't believe in soulmates. It pained me to write.
> 
> Also, sorry that it took over 5,000 words to get to Stiles and Derek meeting. Hope you weren't bored in the beginning.


End file.
